Valentino / Pre-Fall 2014

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Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli used the butterfly as a leitmotif in their new collection, which was also a fitting metaphor for a season that runs the gamut of cozy layering and transformative summer-party dressing. The delicate winged creature appeared jumbo-size on the opening look—an impressive midi-length cape and signature piece of the house—and in spellbinding embroidered swarms on everything from trench coats to floor-sweeping evening dresses.

The overarching inspiration for pre-fall started with this idea of the stylish eccentric in the mold of Anna Piaggi or Isabella Blow, an increasingly rare and precious breed, not least where the red carpet is concerned. In fact bold and unexpected flourishes went from day to night; shiny feathers sprigged the lapels of a slate-gray overcoat and the sleeve of a cocktail dress alike, and the traditional mink coat was reconfigured with a stunning geometric pattern. Where most designers have been pondering the basics of transitional dressing, these daring, stand-out-and-be-noticed designs came as a shockingly chic antidote.

That being said, plenty of new ideas surfaced where the fundamentals of a women’s wardrobe were concerned. A cropped, slightly wide pant underpinned the look of the collection, and was rendered in every fabric possible, including raw indigo denim and an elaborate beaded silk. The humble gray marl sweatshirt was injected with a cheeky sense of play, and covered with a series of horoscope-inspired imagery. Just goes to show that even the most comforting cocoonlike clothes can benefit from the counterintuitive magic of imagination—and take flight.